Water Keep (book)

Water Keep is the first book of the Farworld series. It was published by Shadow Mountain publishing in 2008. J. Scott Savage is the author and the illustrations are done by Brandon Dorman.

Library of Congress Summary
Found in the desert as a baby by monks who named him, thirteen-year-old Marcus, who has been confined to a wheelchair ever since he can remember, knows nothing of his background and endures the difficulties of his daily life in various foster homes and schools by dreaming of Farworld, a magical place whose pull seems to be getting increasingly stronger.

Jacket Sleeve Summary
Other people may see thirteen-year-old Marcus Kanenas as an outcast and a nobody, but he sees himself as a survivor and a dreamer. In fact, his favorite dream is of a world far away, a world where magic is as common as air, where animals tell jokes, and where trees beg people to pick their fruit. He even has a name for this place--Farworld.

When Marcus magically travels to Farworld, he meets Kyja, a girl without magic in a world where spells, charms, and potions are everywhere, and Master Therapass, a master wizard who has kept a secret hidden for thirteen years, a secret that could change the fate of two worlds.

But the Dark Circle has learned of Master Therapass's secret and their evil influence and power are growing. Farworld's only hope is for Marcus and Kyja to find the mythical Elementals--water, land, air, and fire--and convince them to open a drift between the worlds.

As Kyja and Marcus travel to Water Keep, they must face the worst the evil Dark Circle can throw at them--Summoners, who can command the living and the dead; Unmakers, invisible creatures that can destroy both body and soul; and dark mages known as Thrathkin S'Bae.

Along the way, Marcus and Kyja will discover the truth about their own heritage, the strength of their friendship, and the depths of their unique powers.

Marcus Kanenas
Marcus Kanenas (Introduced in Water Keep; pg.16) is a thirteen-year-old boy with scruffy reddish-brown hair and a crushed left arm and leg. His right arm is well muscled and he sometimes wears a leather glove on his hand to protect it from the friction of his wheelchair. He has a weird symbol on his shoulder; it's a picture of two creatures fighting. One is a Summoner. The other has the head of a boar, the tail of a fish, the body and wings of a bird, two horns on its head, and a pair of human arms holding a flaming sword. The Summoner has it's claws to the other creature's throat, and the strange animal has its boar tusks closed in on the Summoner's body (Water Keep; pg.25-26). This marks Marcus as the child of a prophecy from Farworld. He is destined to either save Farworld of destroy it (Water Keep; pg.133).

Kyja
Kyja (Introduced in Water Keep; pg.34)  is the only person in Farworld who can't do magic. She has long, dark hair, emerald green eyes, and tan skin from spending so much time outside (Water Keep; pg.31 & 34-35) . She is assumed to be the child destined to save Earth (Water Keep; pg.138). She wears a green robe and an ivory amulet (Water Keep; pg.35) with the same symbol as Marcus's arm that was given to her by Master Therapass  (Water Keep; pg.60) .

Master Therapass
Master Therapas is the wizard mentor of Kyja and Marcus. (Introduced in Water Keep; pg.43)  He is the one who switched them when they were babies (Water Keep; pg.134) . He likes spending time in wolf form. (Water Keep; pg.43) 

Cascade
Cascade is a water elemental who lives in Water Keep. He has blue skin and short white hair. When Marcus and Kyja travel to Water Keep, they interact with him on multiple occasions. Cascade has trouble understanding the idea of "caring," and by the end of the book decides to travel with Marcus and Kyja as they journey to discover other elementals.

Bonesplitter
Bonesplitter (Introduced in Water Keep; pg.4)  is a Thrathkin S'Bae with a narrow face, thin and pale lips, and silver eyes. He has a thick scar running from the base of his jaw to his hairline on the right side of his face (Water Keep; pg. 6). His sharp nose has a bump on the top and he has perfect teeth (Water Keep; pg.32).

Master of the Dark Circle
Not much is known about the Master of the Dark Circle (Introduced in Water Keep; pg.7") . He goes unnamed and no one ever sees enough of him to get a clear description, but his voice sounds like hot iron being plunged into cold water. (Water Keep; pg.7) He also has withered, gray, papery, hands with long thin fingers. On one of his middle fingers there is a ring with the symbol of the two animals fighting on it. (Water Keep; pg.10)

Others

 * Dark Circle creatures
 * The Summoner's undead army